The long-awaited debut of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami was a rousing success. Fans packed DRV PNK Stadium for a chance to see the footballing icon in action on Friday night. And he didn't disappoint, scoring the game-winning goal in the dying embers.

Fans went wild on social media after Inter Miami secured a 2-1 victory over Liga MX side Cruz Azul. Even Messi himself decided to share his thoughts on Instagram following the thrilling end to his debut.

“LET'S GOOOO!!! It was very important to start this week with a victory for us and also for all our people. And we go on,” the Miami superstar said, translated to English via Instagram.

Messi did not start the game on Friday, though that was known prior to kick-off. He entered the contest as part of a triple substitution by Inter Miami manager Tata Martino. He replaced Benjamin Cremaschi in the midfield.

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Despite an equalizing goal from Cruz Azul, Miami regained control of the run of play in the second half. Messi and Josef Martinez had a few scoring chances, with one goal from Martinez even being disallowed due to an offside ruling.

Messi joined Inter Miami officially on July 15 after two years at French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Prior to that, the footballing legend established himself as one of the world's greatest talents while at Barcelona.

Lionel Messi won the UEFA Champions League four times all with Barcelona. Furthermore, he won 10 league titles with Barca in La Liga, Spain's top-flight league. The 36-year-old also won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022.

Inter Miami has a date with Atlanta United in The Leagues Cup set for Tuesday. Following that, the club doesn't play until August 20 when they take on Charlotte FC in MLS action.